104 Reminiscences of 



a very good sort of a fellow for skipper, giving him 

 moderate pay, and allowing him to participate in a 

 portion of the rentals. We ran the boat for three 

 years, when we sold it for about four times what we 

 paid for it, and although we added several hundred 

 dollars in additions and repairs, we had the advantage 

 of the letting, and came out well paid in profits, be- 

 sides the pleasure and recreation we had. My friend 

 Poor, who was very fond of yachting, came very near 

 losing his life on a yachting excursion a few years 

 afterwards when sailing in Long Island Sound. He 

 was reading in the yacht cabin when a violent squall 

 came on, which nearly capsized the boat. As he 

 rushed out of the cabin the boat inclined over on its 

 side from the squall; he pitched headlong into the 

 sea, while the yacht passed on at a rapid rate, his 

 mishap being scarcely noticed in the confusion 

 aboard, and was soon left behind. He could not swim 

 a stroke, but retained his presence of mind enough to 

 keep paddling with his hands by which he kept his 

 body afloat, and was finally rescued, having been seen 

 by the captain of a Sound steamer, who had observed, 

 though from a distance, the striking of the yacht by 

 the squall and thought he observed some one go over- 

 board, and using his spy-glass saw Poor in the water. 

 He diverted his steamer from its course, and as he came 

 near, sent out a boat and picked him up. He was 

 then about insensible, but still keeping up his hand 

 paddling. From this he afterwards entirely recovered, 

 and died but recently while President of the Park Na- 

 tional Bank of New York, the second largest capital- 

 ized bank in that city. 



With my friends, Ned Poor and Lane, we organized 



